Hershkowitz Happy with Agreement on Ulpana

Jewish Home leader says Ministry of Defense has committed to approving 300 new homes.

By Gil Ronen

First Publish: 6/20/2012, 8:09 PM

MKs Hershkowitz and Katz

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Minister Daniel Hershkowitz (Jewish Home) said Wednesday that he is pleased with the agreement signed by the government and residents of the Ulpana Neighborhood in Beit El.

Hershkowitz spoke with Arutz Sheva after the new Ministerial Committee for Settlements convened to hear the details of the agreement.

"While there is great pain over the fact that the High Court ruling forces us to evict residents from five buildings in the Ulpana hill," he said, "I am pleased with the agreement reached yesterday with the residents of the neighborhood and Rav Zalman Melamed, which was spelled out in detail before the Ministerial Committee today, and which involves the relocation of the buildings and the construction of 300 units."

Hershkowitz said that the plots on which the new homes will be built were specifically delineated and "we also heard a commitment by the Defense Ministry to supply all of the approvals."

"The representatives of the State Attorney were there and everything that was agreed upon was accepted by everyone," he assured his interviewer. "There was talk of locations in Beit El that need to be regulated and a Defense Ministry signature is missing, and that was solved as well. In the end, this is a package that strengthens Beit El and the entire settlement enterprise and I hope that we continue to strengthen settlement without evicting [residents from] even one home."